Nursing Home Care Costs Are Only Slightly Higher in 2016

The median cost of a private nursing home room in the United States has increased slightly to $92,378 a year, up 1.24 percent from 2015, according to Genworth’s 2016 Cost of Care survey, which the insurer conducts annually. Genworth reports that the median cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home is $82,125, up 2.27 percent from 2015. The rise in prices is modest compared to the 4.2 percent and 3.8 percent gains, respectively, in 2015.

The price rise was even lower for assisted living facilities, where the median rate ticked up only .78 percent, to $3,628 a month. The national median rate for the services of a home health aide was $20 an hour, the same rate as 2015, and the cost of adult day care, which provides support services in a protective setting during part of the day, actually fell from $69 to $68 a day.

Alaska continues to be the costliest state for nursing home care, with the median annual cost of a private nursing home room totaling $297,840. Oklahoma again was found to be the most affordable state, with a median annual cost of a private room of $60,225, which did not increase in 2016.

While prices may not have increased drastically from last year, the survey found that Americans underestimate the cost of long-term care by almost 50 percent. In particular four out of five adults underestimate the cost of home health care. For more information, click here.

The 2016 survey was based on responses from more than 15,000 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health facilities and home care providers. The survey was conducted by phone during January and February of 2016.

For more on Genworth’s 2016 Cost of Care Survey, including costs for your state, click here.

For more articles on senior living, including alternatives to nursing homes, click here.